Blackjack Doubling a Soft 14 - Doubling Soft Fourteen |
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| How to Play Blackjack |
When to Double Down on Soft Fourteen
A lot of blackjack players argue about how to play a soft fourteen, some say always hit it, some say to sometimes double down on it, and some say to follow your gut. We all know blackjack players base their decisions on gut feelings, math, basic strategy and sometimes card counting. I always suggest to follow blackjack basic strategy, this way you are playing consistent, not guessing, playing with the odds and preventing any occasion where you would like to kick yourself for not doing the right thing. Basic Strategy cards for blackjack are small, credit card size charts that fit in to your pocket and are well worth the inexpensive price they carry. They can be found and purchased in a lot of casino gift shops and even on the Internet. It is important to make sure that basic strategy for blackjack card that you chose is designed for the table you plan to play. For example, the basic strategy blackjack card that I follow is designed for blackjack tables where the dealer stays on all seventeens, as opposed to hitting dealer's soft seventeen. If the table you plan to play at hits the dealer's soft seventeen, then I would suggest finding a blackjack basic strategy card that applies to the conditions under which you plan to play. According to the basic strategy card for blackjack that I am looking at now states that in the scenario where you are dealt an ace and a three, for a total of a soft fourteen, and the dealer is showing an up card of a two, three or four, you should not double down on your soft fourteen, but simply hit your soft fourteen. This card also says that if the dealer is showing an up card of a five or a six and you have a soft fourteen, you should double down, instead of simply hitting your soft fourteen. By doubling down, that means when the dealer comes to you and offers you a hit, you would place a second bet out there, not to exceed the amount of your original bet, but can be less and the dealer would give you only one additional card, like it or not, it's the only one you are getting. Ideally, it would be a six for twenty, or a seven for twenty one, but even in the cases where it is a much less attractive card, like a two, three, four, five, eight, nine, ten valued card or ace, you are still in not so bad of shape, hopefully the dealer will break and all hands on the table, including your ugly twelve, will get paid. Basic strategy for blackjack also advises that when you are dealt a soft fourteen and the dealer is showing an up card of a seven, eight, nine, ten valued card or ace, you should not double down on your soft fourteen, instead you should simply hit your soft seventeen. Of course, just because you follow basic strategy for blackjack to the letter and double down on your ace and three against the dealer's five or a six, every time you are dealt it, and simply hit when you are not suppose to double down, does not mean you will get rich quick, or even win every time you place a small bet out there, it simply means that hopefully you will come out ahead more often than not when you do as basic strategy dictates. |
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